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Touchdown in Baile Átha Cliath, the official Gaelic name for Dublin. My gracious host Praghosa met me at Dublin airport. We discussed the busy week ahead whilst in the car trip to the famous Govinda's Restaurant in Aungier street, our first stop (for lunch!)
The restaurant has been delighting 300 happy clientele a day for the last 8 years. I could see why - lunch was delicious. Here's a happy customer.
While enjoying the hearty fare I was approached by an ex-pat Aussie lady who introduced herself and promised to attend my cooking class here next week.
I looked around at the diners, and noticed that everyone seemed to be ordering a generous serving of the succulent fried panir cheese in rich and spicy tomato sauce. I asked for a wee serve. Goloka, our bouyant and ever-smiling hostess (and wife of Praghosa) served me a man-sized plate!
The fresh cheese is so popular these days that the restaurant currently transforms 1500 litres a week of local fresh farm milk into the famous dish. Some people don't exactly know what it is, and just order 'some of the brown stuff'!
After lunch Proghosa took me on a 'potted tour' of the famous Dublin city centre.
We crossed the Liffey River on the O'Connell Bridge, with sweeping views of this spacious and grand city.
We wandered down South King street, past the oldest and most well-known of Dublin's theatres, The Gaiety Theatre.
Everywhere were the ubiquitous pubs, with their clientele smoking outside. Smoking is banned in ALL public places in Ireland, even the pubs.
Praghosa, ever the story-teller, explained an unusual statistic. Ireland has the highest percentage of tee-totallers (non-drinkers) in all the 25 member states of the European Union. But it also has the highest rate of alcohol consumption per capita. I guess that means that while many don't drink, those that do make up for the rest of them. Here's a strange named establishment on Stephen Street Lower. Apparently it's a gay pub.
I noticed lots of young people everywhere. Was it school holidays, I asked Praghosa. No, he replied, ever the raconteur; 45% of Ireland's population is under the age of 25.
By the way, did you know that 97.3% of statistics are made up?
Musicians were everywhere. Here's one of the Wee Little People, who emerged from a pub to sing his songs, looking a bit 'worse for wear'.
On Grafton Street we met Sweet Molly Malone - (immortalised in the famous ditty selling her 'cockles and muscles, alive alive-o' - remember?) She is now also immortalised as a buxom bronze statue, and today these musicians were singing the famous ballad for us - in French and English!
Apparently the artist who cast the statue, the well-known Jean Rynhart, is the aunty of my host in Shankill, Ananda Hari. It's a small world.
Finally we drove home to my luxuriant Shankill apartment; not to be confused with the notorious Shankill Road of Belfast fame, Shankill, along with Killiney and Dalkey are 'posh' districts, sort of the Beverley Hills of Dublin. Took a small walk on nearby Killiney beach, before retiring for the night. What a day! But there's work ahead. Better get an early night!
Posted by Kurma on 22/6/05; 2:46:30 PM
from the Travel dept.
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Wednesday, June 22, 2005
